\Vhen the queen heard of the fate of her brother, she foresaw that the ruin of herself and family was deter mined, and took sanctuary with her family in West minster Abbey. Gloucester now used all his arts to get the Duke of York into his power ; but his mother resisted all his solicitations; the council, however, threat ened to employ force if she continued obstinate ; which induced her to comply. \Vhen she took leave of her son, she bathed him with her tears, and, as if struck with a presage of his future fate, bade him an eternal adieu. Gloucester then took his nephew in his arms, and, clasping him with feigned affection, declared, that while he lived, the boy should never want a parent. But the hypocritical tyrant was all the while meditating the most bloody designs against the helpless innocent.
Having thus got into his power the principal obsta cles to his ambition, Gloucester prepared for more treacherous and bloody deeds. As he was the nearest male of the royal line capable of exercising the govern ment, he was invested by the council with the office of protector, without waiting for the consent of parlia ment; and the first use he made of his high dignity, was to order the death of Rivers, and the other prison ers in Pomfret Castle. To this tyrannical and sangui nary measure Buckingham and Hastings gave their consent; and the prisoners were beheaded without any form of trial. He next sounded Buckin'iham respect ing his usurpation of the crown; and prevailed upon him, by liberal offers of private advantages, to support him in all his measures. The loyalty of Hastings, how ever, was proof against every promise and persuasion; and that nobleman determined to maintain unshaken his allegiance and fidelity to the children of Edward. As the tyrant, therefore, despaired of gaining him to his interest, he resolved upon his death. With this de sign he summoned a council in the 'Tower. The pro tector appeared with a cheerful countenance, and, be fore they entered upon business, conversed with the members with great affability and good humour. lie then left the council, as if called away in haste ; and in about an hour after returned, but with quite an altered look ; his 'brows knit, and his countenance inflamed with rage. Those who knew his savage nature beheld him with horror, expecting some dreadful catastrophe. After a short silence, he asked them, what punishment they deserved who had conspired against his life. Has tings replied, that they deserved the punishment of trai tors. " See, then," cried the protector, baring his wither ed arm, " what the sorceress, my queen-sister, and that wretch, Shore's wife, have done by their incantations and witcherafts ; their spells have reduced my arm to this condition ; and had they not been timely detected, my whole, body would have suffered the same calami ty !" The council gazed upon one another in much as tonishment, knowing that this infirmity had attended him from his infancy ; and the silence was again broken by Hastings, who said, " If they have been guilty of these crimes, they merit the severest punishment." " If !" cried Gloucester in a rage ; " do you reply to me with your ffs.2 you are yourself a traitor, and the chief abettor of that witch Shore ; and I swear by St Paul, that I will not dine before your head be brought me." 'lie then struck the table with his hand, and
the room was instantly filled with armed men. The council room was now filled with tumult, and one of the guards aimed a blow with his battle axe at Lord Stanley's head, which the fellow, in all likelihood, had been instructed to do ; but that nobleman escaped by shrinking under the table. Hastings was seized, and immediately beheaded on a log of wood which happen ed to lie in the court of the Tower. Lord Stanley, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Ely, and some other counsellors, were afterwards committed prisoners to the Tower; and a proclamation was read to the citi zens of London, among whom Hastings was very po pular,. enumerating his offences, and apologising for his sudden execution, by the suddenness of the discovery. In order to carry on the farce, he ordered Jane Shore to be tried for witchcraft ; but as no evidence was pro duced against her, she was accused of adultery before the spiritual court, and condemned to walk barefoot through the city, and to do penance in St Paul's church in a white sheet, before all the people. This unhappy woman languished out her life in solitude and indi gence, neglected and unpitied by those who had for merly been protected by her credit, and had lived upon her bounty.
After the murder of Hastings, Gloucester proceeded openly in his ambitious designs. Ile endeavoured, by means of Buckingham, to instil into the minds of the people opinion of the illegitimacy of the late king and his' children. Ile thus had the impiety to charge his own mother with adultery ; and impudently asserted, that he alone of all her sons was the true offspring of the Duke of York. The pulpit was employed for propaga ting these foul calumnies ; and Dr Shaw was hired to harangue the audience in St Paul's, on the incontinence of the duchess, and the virtues of the protector. " Be hold this excellent prince," said the preacher, "the ex press image of his noble father, the genuine descendant of the house of York. lie alone is entitled to your alle giance. He alone can restore the lost glory and honour of the nation." It had been previously concerted that Gloucester should enter the church during this pane gyric, when it was expected that the people would cry, "God save King Richard !" But the protector came too late ; and though the Doctor repeated his praises, yet the audience kept a profound silence. Buckingham was next appointed to harangue an assembly of the citizens, to whom he enumerated the calamities of the preceding reign, and the many virtues of the protector ; and endea voured to convince them of the illegitimacy of the pre sent king. lie then asked them whether they would 'have a bastard-prince, or the virtuous protector, for their sovereign; but no one answered him. He entreated them to speak out their real sentiments, and give him a posi tive answer ; when some of his own servants, who had slipped among the crowd, cried out, "God save King Richard!" which was seconded by a few of the citizens, who had been previously bribed. This feeble cry was interpreted as the voice of the nation; and Buckingham, with the mayor and aldermen, immediately hastened to Baynard's castle, where the Protector then resided, to make him an offer of the crown.